


Talk Dirty To Me

by chicapanzy



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:09:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24129466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chicapanzy/pseuds/chicapanzy
Summary: Vulcans are not known for their casual sexual affairs with others. Spock is not like most Vulcans, and his situation calls for rather unorthodox choices. Jim is a sex worker at the popular Paradisia brothel on Risa, and he's not keen on regular customers who get too attached to him.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Comments: 9
Kudos: 98





	1. Risa

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I don't own these characters or this universe and don't profit from any of the writings I produce for it. 
> 
> Warnings: There will be non-consensual sexual interactions throughout the story. If this is a sensitive topic for you, please take caution when reading, or if too upsetting choose another of my stories to read. The topic of consensual sex work is one of the main themes of this story as well - if you have conflicting or negative opinions of this, please refrain from reading this particular story. Thank you and enjoy.

Risa, the pleasure planet everyone across the Federation talked about. The one planet where there was literally something for everyone. Much like the fabled city of Las Vegas on the planet Earth, whatever happened on Risa remained on Risa. This unwritten rule of confidentiality was the very reason why even the rigid Vulcans would occasionally wander to the planet to indulge in what they considered to be vulgar, shameful curiosities.

One such Vulcan sat aboard a shuttle from Starbase 12 to visit the planet while his ship underwent routine maintenance and its crew took a brief shore leave. From his count there were four other Vulcans from his crew that sat on the same shuttle. The others kept their eyes straight ahead, carefully making sure not to inadvertently make eye contact with each other. Were it not for the assortment of passengers in the shuttle, there was no doubt that the ride would be rife with unspoken tension.

If the other Vulcans’ postures seemed unnaturally straight, Spock’s was that much straighter. He was too absorbed in his own thoughts to realize it, but the way he sat in his seat was drawing attention from those around him. How could someone, even a Vulcan, be on their way to Risa looking so tense? Some nervousness could be expected, but to look like a steel beam had been erected in place of a spine was all out unusual. Spock sat up so straight some shifted in secondary discomfort just looking at him.

The shuttle ride wasn’t terribly long for the average passenger. For Spock, who had engaged in a minor meditation session during the flight, it was more like only seconds had passed. Once the warm breeze of Risa hit his face the rigidity in his body eased away. No longer did he feel like unseen eyes were upon him, judging him for what he was about to do. When he breathed in deeply, the sweet and earthy smells of the local flora filled his nose. He allowed himself the smallest of sighs in response and let his eyes flutter shut. Risa truly was a pleasure planet through and through.

The moment didn’t last long. His eyes snapped back open and searched around him. Confirming that no one around him paid him any more mind than the sand beneath their feet, Spock walked away from the shuttle and made his way to his destination.

\------

The air in Jim’s room was humid, thick with the smell of sex and sweat. Next to him lay his client, a rather satisfied looking Andorian male, his cheeks tinted a deep blue from pleasurable exertion. A grin graced Jim’s face, bright like the Risan suns in spite of his exhaustion.

“Somehow I always forget how good it is with Andorians,” he puffed out. He turned his head to aim his grin at his companion. “Thon, you sure know how to show me a good time.”

Thon’s antennae wriggled in a slow, happy manner on his head. “And you know how to earn every credit I pay to have you, James Kirk.”

Jim laughed and turned onto his side, propping his head up on his hand. “C’mon Thon, you’ve been a regular of mine for several months. How you find the time to visit me so often when you work on a starbase is beyond me, but I think by now you should call me ‘Jim’.”

Thon brought a blue hand to Jim’s cheek and gently rubbed a thumb over its smooth skin. “ _ Jim. _ ” 

A lovely pink flush colored Jim’s skin, the way Thon said his name echoing in his mind. The tone was flattering and for anyone else would have been desirable. For Jim, it meant it was time to hurry Thon out of the room.

Jim orchestrated the end of their session in such a way that Thon had no idea he was getting the boot. Not once did Thon’s antennae move in a way to indicate he knew Jim had grown uncomfortable with his presence or that he was being shooed away as quickly as politely possible. Thon gave Jim one last lingering kiss - one that spoke of the things that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up - before bidding him a tender farewell.

“I’ll be back again to see you before long,” Thon promised. “Keep me in your thoughts until then.”

Jim gave a smile that looked incredibly sincere, though it was anything but. “You know I will.”

When the door finally shut Jim’s shoulders slumped. He let out an exasperated groan and moved to the terminal in the front of his room. His fingers flew across the controls until the face of an older human male appeared.

“Thon only just left. Do I already know what it is you’re going to say?”

“Most likely,” Jim huffed. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long draw and blowing a huge plume of smoke to the side.

“Another one already? Jesus Jim, how the hell do you keep getting these guys to fall for you?”

“Hell if I know. Maybe it’s the blue eyes? Should’ve known getting the color enhanced would work against me…”

“Thon’s a good customer Jim. I can’t just turn him away because he’s getting too attached.”

“Sorry Chris, but you know my rules. Once the nature of our business strays from lust to love I’m out. Love complicates things where I’m concerned and I won’t have another incident like I did with that Orion.”

Chris sighed and ran a hand over his face. He knew Jim was right and it pissed him off that he was. “Fine. I’ll send him a message tomorrow letting him know that he’ll need to choose another of our courtesans.” He gave Jim a long, hard look. “You may need to change up your bedside manner if this continues to be a trend.”

Jim rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs in a rather showy manner. “My bedside manner is what gets you so many regulars.”

“And it’s what makes me lose those regulars sometimes too. I can’t keep pushing clients away because you’re worried they’re getting too attached. Ever hear of being too paranoid?”

“I haven’t liked the color green since that Orion nearly choked my client to death in the middle of a session,” Jim snapped. “And need I remind you that that Qaxar prince very nearly had you executed over the whole thing?”

Chris raised his hands in defeat and barked, “Alright, alright, you’ve made your point! Thon is out. But I’m warning you Jim, that rule of yours ain’t gonna hold if the right customer comes along. You might find yourself changing your tune if their pockets are especially deep.”

“Fine, whatever.”

Jim jabbed at a button that ended the transmission abruptly. He took another long draw from his cigarette, relishing the way the smoke burned his lungs until he released it. The silk robe he’d wrapped himself in after getting out of bed slipped open as he slouched in his chair. He didn’t like getting rid of Thon any more than Chris did. Andorians were one of his favorite races in the bedroom. The things they could do with their antennae were amazing. Jim would do anything to keep him as a regular.

Except fall in love with him.

He knew Gaila would think he was a complete idiot when he told her and he didn’t care. Jim didn’t have many rules in his bedroom, so if he found a reason to enforce one of them he stuck to it no matter what. Besides, it wouldn’t be long before he found another client that’d satisfy him like Thon did.

Jim’s lips curled into a smile as he snuffed the remains of his cigarette into an ashtray. Oh yeah, he’d have someone to replace Thon very soon. He was sure of it.

\------

Christopher Pike grumbled unhappily behind his desk. The message he had typed out after speaking with Jim remained unfinished on his computer screen. The longer he looked at it the more irritated he became. It was the third message of its kind he’d written of this sort in the past month, all of them going to Jim’s clients. Thankfully they were only Starfleet officers from the nearby starbase this time around. The last time he had to respectfully decline a diplomat’s request for Jim damn near put him out of business altogether. If it weren’t for Moiya the brothel would’ve been shut down completely. The five percent increase in her cut was worth it to keep the doors open.

Both Moiya and Jim were Chris’ most popular courtesans, Moiya because she was Deltan, and Jim because...well, he just had a way with people of all walks of life. Gaila ranked highly with the customers as well, considering she was Orion that was hardly surprising. The three of them thankfully got along well with each other, which was both a relief and a boon for business. No doubt Jim would tell both Moiya and Gaila about voluntarily losing Thon as a client. Chris hoped that they’d help talk some sense into him.

There was no time for him to dwell on the issue; the tinkling sound of the door chime announced the arrival of a customer. Chris hopped out of his seat and made his way to the front of the house, adjusting himself as he went. By the time the newcomer was in eyesight he had a bright smile on his face.

“Hello, and welcome to Paradisia! How can I help you si-”

Chris’ forward movement halted when he drank in the identity of the newcomer. He was, of all things, a Vulcan. His facial features were a touch softer than most Vulcan, especially around the eyes, but he was a Vulcan nonetheless. What the hell was a Vulcan doing in his brothel?

The Vulcan seemed to take the pause in Chris’ opening spiel as an opportunity to speak. “Good afternoon. I am here to take advantage of your services.”

Chris recovered from his initial shock and went right back into customer service mode. He smiled and gave a nod, ushering the man inside. “Yes, of course. We’ll be happy to find the right person for you, Mister…?”

“Spock.” His voice was clipped and clinical, as if he wasn’t there to pursue sexual favors from a paid courtesan. “I wish to be with someone who has no knowledge of the Vulcan language.”

“Think you can be more specific?” Chris quickly changed his tone to sound more hospitable and less irritated. “We don’t exactly have a lot of courtesans who have that knowledge. If you were wanting someone who  _ could  _ speak Vulcan I’d have a shorter list of options-”

“Then I shall leave you to pick,” Spock answered. “That is my only stipulation.”

Chris let out a sigh. “Alright. I’ll set you up with my best. Do you have a gender preference?”

“Negative.”

“Thank God for that,” Chris mumbled. He moved to his console and sent an alert to Jim’s room. If anyone could pleasure a Vulcan out of their dreadful stiffness it was Jim. Alert sent and confirmation received, Chris put on a pleasant smile and rose from his seat. “Come this way, I’ll escort you in.”

The two walked in silence. Normally Chris went into detail about what their guest could expect, essentially selling the courtesan before the two met. He knew no such thing was needed for Spock. Whatever had drawn the man to his brothel in the first place was more than enough for him, and with his criteria met there was nothing left to do but show him in.

As usual, Jim had presented himself like the finest steak dinner, draped upon his bed with his silk robe tantalizingly covering him. The interest on Spock’s face was surprisingly immediate. To anyone else it would seem like nothing had changed, but Chris was specially trained to read body language. The Vulcan’s eyes had incrementally widened, his lips becoming ever so slightly less pursed. Even his posture relaxed just enough for Chris to notice.

A satisfied grin on his face, he motioned into the room. “I shall leave you two to get better acquainted.” He waited for Spock to walk further in to close the door behind them. As he walked back to his desk he made a silent prayer that Jim wouldn’t do anything to scare Spock off. Vulcan clients were impossibly difficult to attract, and even harder to convert into repeat visitors. They needed that sort of business, and if Jim screwed this up he’d have a hard time convincing himself to keep him much longer.

\------

Jim was beyond pleased to see a Vulcan walking into his parlor. He’d scored all kinds of races in his time at Paradisia, some not completely humanoid. And yet this was the first time he’d ever had the pleasure of attending to a Vulcan. Doing his duty as a courtesan he studied up on the sexual needs and erogenous zones of Vulcan males and females. Being Jim, he’d gone above and beyond his research.

_ “What do you desire?”  _ he asked in near perfect Vulcan.

Whatever laxness there was in Spock’s posture and body language vaporized. His body tensed and his eyes flashed. He turned on his heel and would have left if Jim hadn’t reacted quickly.

“Hey!” He exclaimed in Standard. “Where are you going?”

“I have no desire to be intimate with someone who speaks Vulcan. I am leaving.”

Jim was on his feet and rushing for the door in an instant. Before Spock could put his hand on the door panel Jim was between him and the door. His blue eyes flashed, heart beating quickly from the burst of energy. 

“Now hold on a second! No one said anything to me about you not wanting to speak Vulcan! I wouldn’t have said that if I had known!”

Spock was not assuaged. “I made it clear to your manager when I came in seeking a courtesan. Clearly he did not take me seriously.”

Jim was panicking. He’d never lost a client before even bedding them. He had to talk fast. “Chris doesn’t know that I speak Vulcan. We hardly ever get Vulcan clients so I never thought to mention it. You’re the first Vulcan to ever walk in here, I thought I was impressing you!”

Spock stared at Jim coldly. “I am not impressed.” He reached for the door panel.

“I get that,” Jim answered, reaching to block Spock’s hand and accidentally intercepting it. The slightly taller man withdrew his hand as if he’d been burned. He cursed to himself. He really had to do some sweet talking now.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know this was going to be a problem. It doesn’t have to be though. I’m human, probably one of the furthest things from Vulcan as you can get in here. If you don’t want to speak Vulcan that’s fine with me. I don’t really know that much anyway.”

Spock looked at Jim closely, clearly scrutinizing him. What Jim said was an all out lie; he knew quite a bit of Vulcan. But if he fudged it enough he could convince the Vulcan to stay. “I’m serious. I just memorized that line from a porn holo a friend of mine put together. That’s the only bit of Vulcan I know.”

It was a serious gamble. If they were touching Spock would know he was lying and bolt out of there. There’s no way he’d be able to talk his way out of that mess if that happened, and he needed this job.  _ Loved  _ it.

Spock’s eyes were leaving Jim’s face and scanning his body. His very naked body that was no longer properly cloaked by his silk robe. The erection Jim had worked to stand tall at Spock’s arrival was now at a pitiful half-mast. He hoped it wouldn’t harm his already fragile standing with the other man. 

Thankfully Spock’s hand moved away from the door panel and instead moved to push his robe off his shoulder. It didn’t take much to facilitate it falling to the floor in a crumpled heap. “You speak true?” Spock asked.

Jim knew that with Spock’s hand on his shoulder that a lie would be picked up. He instead thought about all he had in store for Spock and gently pushed forward into him. “Come on. I’m one of the best courtesans here. If you took the effort to come here, you should at least do yourself a favor and enjoy it before leaving.”

That seemed to be the right tactic to take, if the hands that were rubbing his bare arms was any indication. He smiled, and took one more step forward. “Your name is Spock, right?”

“Correct,” he answered quietly.

“Well Spock, you have me for an hour at the least. Why don’t we make it count?”

Their faces were quite close at this point, Jim plastering himself to Spock’s fully clothed chest.  _ Just a little more,  _ Jim thought.

Like a moth to the flame, Spock forged the distance between them and kissed Jim firmly, almost desperately. Jim let out a small moan of triumph. He’d got him.

“So,” Jim breathed when they pulled apart, “what do you want me to do? Lay down and let you take me however you wish? Or would you like me to worship you like the strong, superior Vulcan that you are?”

Jim was laying it on thick, he knew. But he was still feeling the guy out and wasn’t sure what to expect. He certainly hadn’t expected Spock to grip him by the chin and answer in a low tone. “I want you to present yourself to me upon your bed so that I may take you from behind.”

The request wasn’t unusual, especially considering some of the things Jim’s clients had requested of him (he was still trying to block out that thing with the fangless Geruvian snakes). But the way the request had been delivered to him has Jim blushing like a virgin. Unable to think of anything saucy to say he merely stammered, “I-I can do that.”

Jim fought to put himself back together. He couldn’t be a bundle of nerves in front of his first Vulcan client. He had to put on a show, make it worth his while to return. Taking a deep breath he walked past Spock, deliberately swaying his hips for the Vulcan to see. He climbed onto the bed and got on all fours, reaching behind him to spread himself open.

“Do you want me to prepare myself?” he asked. “Or would you prefer to do that yourself? I have lube in the basket on the nightsta-oooh!”

Before he could finish speaking there were two hands that weren’t his own upon him, spreading him open just a bit more as a fiery tongue lapped at his entrance. He let out a shaky moan, hands balling in the bed sheets. Rimming was Jim’s Achilles heel; all it took was a tongue licking at him like that to turn him to putty. He liked this guy already.

Jim hadn’t even caught his breath before the tongue plunged into him, writhing tantalizingly in a way that made Jim wish it could reach further into him. The suddenness and boldness of the action almost made him moan more than the action itself. Knowing it was a Vulcan doing it to him somehow made it even more enjoyable than normal. He was in heaven.

To his dismay the tongue withdrew from inside of him, but his disappointment didn’t last long. One finger and then two, and then three worked in and out of him with surprising precision. Jim didn’t know what Spock lubricated his fingers with, but there wasn’t even the slightest bit of uncomfortable friction when they worked their way into him. Did Spock bring his own lube? And if so, what magical lube was it? Oh hell, who cares? It felt  _ great.  _

The pace in which Spock fingered him was a bit faster than he expected. His touch was sure and deliberate without any hint of inexperience. There was no way this was his first time doing anything with a man. He knew just where to rub and how hard to thrust. Oh, the secrets that stoic face must be holding!

Suddenly the fingers withdrew. Jim whined and turned over his shoulder to look at Spock. He knew what the lack of fingers meant, but the absence was still keenly felt. From where he was positioned he could only just barely catch a glimpse at the long, green shaft and double ridged head that Spock exposed from his pants. He gasped, his fully resurrected erection twitching hard in anticipation.

He didn’t see Spock apply any lube, but when he entered Jim he slid in beautifully. Jim moaned in surprise; there was truly something magical about Spock’s technique, because the discomfort he usually experienced when being filled wasn’t there. He pushed back into Spock, bare ass meeting Vulcan hips. Jim was about to start his usual stream of dirty talk when an arm wrapped around his torso and forced him up from the bed.

In yet another surprising twist of events, Spock began thrusting in and out of Jim roughly, slamming into him with a force that would have pushed him into the mattress. Maybe Spock anticipated that, or maybe he was using that amount of force now that he knew Jim wouldn’t be uncomfortable with it. All Jim could do was moan; Spock was fucking him so good so soon after prepping his ass that he couldn’t get his mind to formulate coherent thoughts.

Spock leaned in close to Jim’s ear while he plunged into him and began to speak in Vulcan. It was in a dialect Jim hadn’t learned, but he could understand generally what Spock uttered to him. 

_ “You are mine,”  _ he spoke, voice rough with aggression.  _ “No one else can have you. You are mine alone.” _

The words made Jim tremble. Sure, plenty of his clients got possessive, but none ever sounded the way Spock did. It was a major turn on, one that had Jim reaching for his cock and stroking roughly in tie with Spock’s thrusts. He’d heard rumors of Vulcans having insane stamina, and he wanted to come as many times as he could with that beautiful cock filling him up.

But he was denied this. Spock swatting Jim’s hand away and stroked him instead. Jim couldn’t really complain, since it always felt better for someone else to touch him than for him to touch himself.

_ “You will not touch what is mine,”  _ Spock growled in Vulcan.  _ “You will climax at my hands alone.” _

Jim had to be careful not to let on that he knew what Spock was saying to him. He swallowed down his surprise at the man’s words and pressed himself back into him as much as he could in his position. If Spock wanted the victory of making Jim come by his hands he was not going to complain about it.

Just as Jim was really getting into the angle and depth in which Spock filled him he was flipped onto his back. On Spock’s face was an intense look that had been hidden behind him until now. If he weren’t on the receiving end of his cock, Jim might have felt fear from the way Spock stared at him. Spock picked up where he’d left off, hand returning to stroke Jim tightly. Jim was thankful for the position change, as it allowed him to throw his head back more comfortably and enjoy how hot Spock looked.

_ “I will lose myself inside of you, you with the azure eyes. You are the one I choose.”  _

Jim was pondering Spock’s meaning until he felt a hand press to his face. He barely was able to recall what that meant with Vulcans when their minds forged together in a rush. All at once he was both being filled by Spock and filling himself with Spock’s length. The dual sensation was dizzying and intoxicating, like a fine glass of Romulan ale. 

_ What are you… _

_ You are mine now. _

Somewhere amid the staggering stimulation was something like a tether being formed between them. Jim had no idea what was happening, even without the very distracting physical activity he was now able to enjoy from both sides. He wasn’t able to think too much about it, as the intensity in which he felt everything brought him to a sudden and violent climax that overwhelmed his senses. He bucked and he tensed, vaguely aware of the stream of cum that sprayed onto his bare chest and the loud cry of pleasure that tore from his lips. He could sense that his climax was fueling Spock’s, and in an explosion of stars felt him reach his climax as well.

When it was all over, they were crumpled together on the bed in a tangle of arms and legs. It was like Jim had been hit by a starship in the best kind of way. A loose smile hung upon his lips as he lulled his head from side to side.

“Oh my God,” he gasped, laughing deliriously. “That was  _ fantastic _ .”

Spock, as it turned out, was not one for pillow talk. He recovered quickly from his climax and withdrew his hand, disconnecting the mental link he had forged. He slowly pulled out, letting his release pour out of Jim unceremoniously. Without saying another word he stuffed himself into his pants and adjusted himself. Not a single hair was out of place.

Then he left.

Jim sat up on the bed and blinked at the closed door. Spock didn’t even move the robe that had fallen on the floor. He gaped, unsure how to take what had just happened. This was the first time he’d been treated like some sort of sex toy rather than a courtesan. He frowned heavily, the afterglow completely blown now.

There was  _ no  _ way he would see that guy again.  _ None. _


	2. If At First You Don't Succeed...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things didn't go quite right the first time Spock visited Jim. What was meant to be a one-night stand was now turning into a double header. But it's not so easy to schedule another session with his desired courtesan...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This, as you can tell, is going to be a multi-chapter story. New chapters will be made available every Saturday until its completion.

Rather than going out of his way to see what else Risa had to offer, Spock secluded himself in his hotel room. He sat upon a meditation pad he’d brought with him in his travels, eyes closed and mind submerged. The events of yesterday happened so fast he needed meditation to process it fully. The fledgling connection he’d formed kept the courtesan on his mind even as he meditated.

He opened his eyes, staring out into the empty room he sat in. Strange. The connection shouldn’t be so strong that he’d be this attracted to the man. He’d only intended to form enough of a connection to serve his needs. This wouldn’t do. He couldn’t be this attached to a courtesan he had no interest in.

Spock rose from where he sat and went to the hotel room’s communication console. A quick access of the Risa business directory helped him to make the connection with Paradisia, and consequently its owner. 

Chris looked rather surprised to see the Vulcan on the line. “Mr. Spock? Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes there is,” Spock said stiffly. “I would like to see that courtesan from last night again.”

“Tonight?”

“Ideally, yes.”

Chris floundered. “Uhm, let me take a look at his schedule and I will get back to you.”

Spock nodded stiffly and watched the stand-by screen replace Chris’ face. He hoped he could see Jim tonight. He needed to adjust the connection strength for both their sakes. He wasn’t as skilled at these sorts of things as a trained Vulcan healer, so he had to be careful. The mind wasn’t something to toy with, but at the same time he couldn’t risk involving outsiders more than he already had.

Tonight would be the last night he dealt with the courtesan. He’d make the appropriate adjustment and then they’d both go on with their lives. And then he’d search for him. For now, he had to wait.

\------

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

Jim frowned at his vid screen. "I mean I'm not seeing him again."

"You can't be serious," Chris gaped. 

"As a heart attack."

"Jim, this is a Vulcan returning for another session. A Vulcan. We've never had a Vulcan walk through those doors once in the time we've been open and you've convinced this one to come back for a second helping. He may even become a regular. There's no way in hell I'm telling him no!"

"Tell him I'm booked. Tell him I'm sick. Tell him whatever you want, I refuse to see him again."

Chris' expression grew stormy. "I put up with a lot of your shit because you bring in a lot of return customers Jim. But even I'm starting to lose my patience. You give me one good reason why I should tell him to buzz off."

"Because he..." Jim's voice cracked. He looked away from the vid screen, struggling to compose himself. "Because he treated me like a damned sex toy. When he was done he just tucked himself in and walked out. I may not be looking for love but I'll be damned if I let a client treat me like I'm a disposable object to be used." 

Chris calmed down considerably at that. "Jim...I didn't know. I thought the session had been unusually quick but I didn't think..." He sighed and rubbed his face wearily. "I'll make something up, tell him you can't see him. But I can only buy you today."

"You-"

Chris put his hand up. "This is a business Jim. I can advise him on etiquette for his next session, but unless he broke one of our rules I can't refuse him out right."

"He broke one of my rules."

"I know. And if he does it again I swear he's out. Vulcans uphold rules no matter how asinine. Give me this chance to fix things. Please?"

Jim fumed, but knew it wasn't an argument he could win. He turned away again and huffed. "Fine, whatever."

"Thank you," Chris said, clearly relieved. "I swear I'll make it up to you later tonight."

"You'd better." Jim terminated the transmission and sighed. He really didn't want to see the Vulcan again, but at least he didn't need to do it immediately. 

He hated that when it came down to business or his feelings, business always weighed more. Chris took a special interest in Jim and made more allowances than anyone else would, but Jim wasn't stupid. He knew that was only contingent on how much business came in. That was the only way he could manage to be even remotely demanding. 

He flopped onto his bed with a sigh. He didn't feel like seeing anyone that day. Of course there was no way to swing going without clients without legitimately being sick. If someone called for him he'd just have to fake enthusiasm until the other person came. Just his luck.

Chris had seriously better do some major ass kissing to make up for this whole mess.

\------

Spock hadn’t foreseen the delay to stretch on this long. After four point sixteen minutes, Christopher Pike reappeared on his screen and smiled apologetically at him.

“I’m sorry Mister Spock, but Jim’s schedule has been rather full already and it’s starting to wear on him. He’s going to rest for the rest of the night, but I assure you he’ll be in tip top shape to meet with you tomorrow. As a courtesy I’ll allow you an extra hour for your session.”

Spock didn’t look pleased when he heard the news, but logic kept him from reacting poorly. “That is regrettable. I expect him to be well rested for my visit tomorrow.”

“About that.” Chris’ demeanor changed visibly. “I’m going to need you to work on your etiquette when you see Jim tomorrow.”

An eyebrow rose on Spock’s forehead. “Excuse me?”

Chris pressed on. “You were pretty damn rude to one of my best courtesans. According to Jim you jumped right into it and then walked off when you had finished with him.”

“That is correct,” Spock answered, clearly bemused. “I do not understand why-”

“It’s quite obvious you don’t.” Chris’ friendly and courteous airs were long gone. “I don’t know what you know about brothels but I’m gonna tell you about mine. My courtesans are more than the cheap whores you can find anywhere else. I take pride in the services they offer their clients, and every one of my courtesans offers something different. If all you were after was a quickie I had other people for that. I offered you Jim because he’s one of my best and I incorrectly interpreted you as a man who would appreciate that.”

Spock was about to interject but was cut off once again. “Jim is special. I don’t just offer him to anyone who walks through my door. You reduced him to a slut you could have picked up on any dark corner in the Federation, and neither of us appreciate that. If you were just passing through I’d take note and get over it, but if you’re serious about coming here to see Jim again, you need to treat him with respect from the moment you walk in his door to the moment you leave the premises.”

Chris leaned in closer to the vid screen. “You get one more chance with him, and only one. You pull that shit with him again and I’ll ban you from being with any of my courtesans permanently. Have I made myself clear?”

“Abundantly.”

They scheduled Spock an appointment to see Jim in the early evening hour the next day, and then Chris brusquely cut the connection. As put off as he was, Spock felt respect for the man. He considered his courtesans to be people with feelings that deserved to be considered and protected, not merely as means to a financial end. Fascinating.

With nothing more to do Spock returned to his meditation. It was during his meditation that the full breadth of his prior behavior really sank in. He had given in to his own prejudices and focused too much on his intentions to respect Jim at his place of employment. The mix of shame at choosing that path as the means to his own ends and the frustrating situation that impaired his logic enough to provoke that decision had affected him more than he should have let it. The fault ultimately was his.

He now had a whole day to sort his feelings out and present himself as a proper client. With renewed purpose he delved deeper into his psyche, effectively closing himself off to the rest of the world. Tomorrow he would show up to Paradisia as a completely different man.

\------

Business at Paradisia was slow to Jim’s relief. There were a few regulars who came calling for their desired courtesans, and none of them had come to see Jim. Days like that weren’t too common, but Jim welcomed them. Some days Jim just didn't feel like entertaining clients. This was one of those days. 

Gaila came to Jim after going a long stretch of time without a client, red hair all about her like a nebulous cloud. She was fond of leaving her hair in its natural, crazy looking state on slow days. It took so long to tame and make presentable that when she only had a couple clients she let it be. 

Moiya came by some time later, face as unreadable as a certain Vulcan Jim had seen the night before. Unlike the Vulcan, she had a vibrant personality, and a smile that shone like the sun. The three friends lazed about in Jim's bed, eating from a fresh fruit tray usually reserved for use with clients. He took the opportunity to fill them in on his session with Spock.

Upon hearing about Jim's less than perfect encounter with Spock Gaila sighed. "Honestly Jim, you're such a primadonna for someone who loves sex as much as you do. All these rules and restrictions you force on your clients are silly."

"I don't have that many!" Jim defended. "All I ask is that things not get complicated by love and that I be allowed to do my thing. If a client needs me for a quickie after we're established that's one thing. This guy has no respect for me or what I do."

"And yet the words you heard him say in his native tongue suggest he was after more than just sexual fulfillment," Moiya observed. "Quite contrary to his actions."

“I know right? Unless that’s just a Vulcan thing, where they get all dominant and possessive during sex. I mean, at the time it was sexy, but the way he dropped me like a hot potato without so much as a goodbye was not.”

“I still think you’re being too sensitive,” Gaila retorted. “And that’s coming from an Orion who used to be a sex slave.”

“Orions have completely different views on sex than humans,” Moiya commented. “As do Deltans. Most humans do not appreciate feeling like they are being used solely for sex.”

Gaila threw her hands in the air. “But that’s exactly what we’re for as courtesans!”

“The hell we are,” Jim shot back. “Maybe at some other dumpster dive, but not at Paradisia. Chris doesn’t want anyone in here that isn’t going to treat us right. Risa is one of the few Federation planets that legalizes prostitution, and because of that there’s laws to protect us. We don’t have to just spread our legs-”

“Or ass cheeks,” Gaila interjected.

“-or our ass cheeks for just anyone with cash and a libido. We get to have standards, and in turn we get to offer more to our clients. That’s why we’ve got such a good reputation, and that’s why we get so many people coming back for more. This guy Spock doesn’t see it that way, and I don’t want anything to do with a guy like him.”

Gaila and Moiya exchanged looks. It wasn’t the first time they’d seen Jim get passionate about matters concerning how and with whom he got involved with. Truly it was a matter of cultural differences that would never be fully understood by either parties. All they could do was support their friend.

“At least you have got Chris’ support in this,” Moiya said.

Gaila snorted. “Yeah, only because at the end of the day he knows he’ll get to butter your croissants.”

“I think you mean ‘butter my biscuits’” Jim corrected.

“Whatever. You Terrans have ridiculous colloquialisms.”

Jim laughed while Moiya smiled softly. He picked up a bunch of grapes and popped one into his mouth. “You are right though. And he owes me a biscuit buttering after making me see Spock again. I plan to collect tonight.”

“Then I suppose Gaila and I will be perched outside his door this evening so that we can best hear you.”

“Aw, forget that Moiya. I’m in the mood to go out on the town and spend some of my savings! I hear Sylexx is having a big sale on their dresses, and there’s a couple I’ve been meaning to get.”

Moiya genuinely looked disappointed. “But…”

“I promise to buy you some jewelry,” Gaila offered. “Maybe some from that hot Bajoran guy a couple streets down from us?”

Moiya’s face colored nicely. “Very well. I will join you this evening.”

Jim laughed and put his arms around both girls’ shoulders. He kissed them both chastely on the tops of their heads. “You girls are wonderful, you know that?”

“Of course we do,” Moiya answered with a cheeky smile on her face. “Have you only just now figured that out?”

\------

Nighttime was always the busiest time of day at places like Paradisia, which was why Chris hadn't been concerned about the slow traffic that day. He had a receptionist especially for the night crew so that he could tend to other matters and sleep. She walked in through the door, head held high and face in a passive expression.

“I am here to relieve you sir.”

Chris sighed, trying not to roll his eyes at his ex-first officer. “At ease M’Hari. This is a brothel, not a star ship, remember?”

M’Hari relaxed, but only slightly. “Sorry. Old habits die hard.”

“Apparently so.” He rose from the desk and stretched dramatically. He let out a good yawn too for additional emphasis. “This was a long boring day. You showed up just in time for some of our livelier customers to pep things up a bit.”

“So long as they do not pep things up too much, I do not mind.”

“That’s my girl.” Chris walked up to M’Hari and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Mind the shop for me.”

M’Hari’s outer calm briefly faltered before she settled it back into place. “I shall. Enjoy your evening.” 

“I plan on it.” 

With a wave Chris headed toward the staircase leading to the upstairs portion of his brothel. The door leading to the stairwell was behind a nondescript curtain to the side of the reception area. He placed his thumb upon it and made his way up. As successful as his brothel had been he could have put in an elevator at any time. Chris liked the stairwell though; it added a certain character to the place he both worked at and lived in.

The upstairs was the living space for those who worked at Paradisia and weren’t courtesans. There was a kitchen, a living area, an entertainment room for the occasional celebrations, and individual bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms. M’Hari stayed busy during the day and crashed after her shift at night. Leonard worked shifts at the local hospital to pass the time when he didn’t need to treat or check-up Paradisia’s residents and/or clients. And Chris retired after his shift to take on a more domestic role and occasionally entertain their more prestigious clients.

And every so often, pamper one of his courtesans.

Tonight he’d be pampering Jim to make up for the debacle that was Spock. 

He knew that Jim would have no real desire to eat, but he still prepared a meat and cheese plate for him. It was a formality, one that he was able to repurpose and give to some of the hungry denizens of Risa to avoid wasting it. The candles he lit were also a formality, considering Jim would just as well do things in the dark as in the light. But it showed his intention to make it special for him, especially considering how things had gone the night before.

A knock sounded at the door. Chris smiled. Early as always. Good thing he didn’t delay getting things ready. He opened his door to find Jim standing before him in his favorite robe. 

“Hello there, Jim.”

“Hello yourself,” he answered with a cheeky grin. “May I come in?”

Chris moved out of the way to allow Jim to come in. The door closed automatically behind him, leaving Chris to just watch Jim closely. Chris knew there was not a stitch of clothing beneath the robe. That suited him just fine.

“Care for something to eat?” He motioned to where the meat and cheese plate sat on his coffee table.

“No thanks,” Jim replied. “I’m not here for a snack.”

“Of course you’re not.”

Jim turned, not a trace of irritation on his face. Rather he had a lazy smile firmly in place. “So, I remember you saying something about making things up to me? For setting up another appointment for me and that pointy eared bastard?”

Chris put his hands in his pockets and laughed lightly, shuffling slowly toward Jim. “Yeah, I think I remember that too.” He stopped just in front of him, tantalizingly out of reach. “Good thing I’ve rescheduled every person who intended to see you today.”

Jim’s jaw dropped. For a moment he was silent, and then a burst of laughter came forth. “How considerate of you. I thought I’d been unusually bored today. Guess I should have known that had to do with you more than sheer luck.”

“We make our own luck Jim. You know I’ve always believed that.” Chris reached out and ran his knuckles lightly over Jim’s face. “Most of the time anyway. The day I found you in that bar hitting on anything that moved was the closest brush with real luck I’ve ever had.”

Jim’s smile became bright and warm. He stepped forward and slowly wrapped his arms around Chris’ shoulders. “You know, you’re just as smooth a talker as you were then.” He chuckled. “God, you’ve probably sweet talked all kinds of people into your bed.”

Smirking, Chris commented, arms slipping around Jim’s waist. “You weren’t the first, and you certainly weren’t the last. But you’re certainly one of the more memorable ones.”

Jim’s gaze kept darting between Chris’ lips and his eyes. Both were hard to resist. “You know, I’m not sure why I keep doing this with you. You’re twice my age.”

“It’s because you’ve got unresolved daddy issues.”

Rather than being offended Jim chuckled. “There’s that bluntness on the other side of your smooth talking.”

Chris shrugged, clearly unfazed by Jim’s comment. “You know me. I call it like I see it. I don’t believe in pulling punches.”

“Not one bit. And I think that’s what really attracts me to you. That and how good you take care of me.”

Chris teased in a sing-song voice. “Daddy issues.”

“Oh stop it!” Jim laughed and swatted Chris on the chest. “If you’re not careful I’ll just walk my sweet ass right out of here and go back to my room.” He pulled back to further make his point.

Chris wasn’t about to let Jim get away, not even in jest. His arms tightened around Jim and pulled him close enough for their chests to touch. “You’re not going anywhere until you’ve had a seat on my lap young man.”

The way Chris’ voice got deeper and more gravelly like that always made Jim shiver in delight. With a wide smile on his face, he got just close enough that when he spoke his lips brushed against Chris’. “Then you should stop toying with me and cut to the chase, old man.”

Despite the small distance between them Chris lunged forward to capture Jim’s lips in a rough kiss. He’d been holding himself back, playing the game of cat and mouse they always played when they met like this. He’d done so for too long, and now he was ready to devour Jim. 

Which was exactly what Jim wanted. He liked it when Chris let loose with him like this. It reminded him better than even the most loving client that he was valued and worth something. And after what he'd dealt with with Spock, that’s what he'd needed.

\------

After hours of meditation, Spock received a request to dine with his fellow Vulcan crew members at a vegetarian restaurant near the hotel they were staying in. He'd not had a chance to see much of Risa yet so he accepted the invitation. After all, he had gone through the effort of going on shore leave, so he might as well enjoy what Risa had to offer. Besides, declining to join them would raise suspicion. He couldn't afford that now. 

The meal was adequate, meeting all the dietary requirements in an atmosphere that was low-key and calm. The company was not unpleasant; discussions focused on Vulcan current affairs and future science projects. Spock excused himself to the restroom as their meal concluded and they decided to go their separate ways for the night. Plans to visit an astrophysics museum were made for the next day at a time that did not conflict with Spock pre-arranged plans. 

Spock relieved himself in the urinal and moved to the sink to wash his hands. He'd just turned off the water when he got hit with an incredibly strong emotion that was clearly not his own. The water ran unused into the sink, Spock's eyes wide. The emotion, a very distinct arousal, stemmed from the connection he'd made with Jim. 

Jim, who was a courtesan and pleasured customers on a daily basis. 

He turned off the water, clutching the handle tightly. The knuckles on his hand turned white as he struggled to regulate his emotions. The arousal poured into him like the water poured into the sink from the faucet. Just how strong was the connection between them?

Spock's trousers were now uncomfortably tight. Even if he stemmed the flow of arousal the effect it had on him would still require attention. It was too strong to just will away while in public, and he certainly couldn't walk out in such a state. 

The bathroom was thankfully empty. A quick stalk to the door allowed him to lock the door and prevent others from walking in. No need to make things even worse for himself. What he was about to do was humiliating enough. 

Fighting the instinct to block the offending emotion, he let it wash over him completely. His hands worked his trousers open to free a very stiff and nearly painful erection. Spock took a deep breath, looking down at the deep green shaft and weeping head. No, there was no way he could leave the bathroom before resolving this.

He leaned against the door and began to stroke himself, an act which was facilitated by natural lubricant he created to aid in intercourse. After seeing how human males lacked the same ability to self-lubricate he wondered how they went about pleasuring themselves. Wondered how Jim pleasured himself. Wondered just what Jim was doing at that moment to create such a surge of arousal through their still fresh connection.

Spock bit his lip, knowing that the locked door was already suspicious in this multi-stall bathroom. If someone were to hear him moan they would no doubt alert security. Then again maybe not. This was Risa, where acting in this sort of way wasn’t as shameful as it would be elsewhere in the Federation.

As curious as he was to what Jim was up to there was no way to touch his mind. The connection had been stronger than he intended, but not as strong as a meld would be. It didn’t take too much imagination to picture, or to insert himself into the fantasy.

Spock knew if he took too long someone would come to use the bathroom and get suspicious when they couldn’t get in. Having a link to the intense feelings Jim was experiencing worked in his favor, as he was able to mix his arousal with that of Jim’s and use it to race towards his climax faster. Not as efficient as melding during intercourse, but still helpful in this situation.

How much time had passed was beyond his comprehension in the moment. All that was, all he sensed was the way he, and Jim, was feeling. Jim’s pleasure climbed and took Spock’s with it. More, more, just a little more…

Jim’s pleasure peaked in what had to have been his climax, and it ripped Spock’s from within him. His back arched, body making a smooth curve as his release shot forth and splattered onto the bathroom floor. He was vaguely aware of the way his mouth hung open in a silent cry.

The deed now done, Spock could block the connection and focus on settling down. Embarrassment bubbled to the front of his mind at the reality of what just happened. How glad he was that his colleagues were making their way back to their hotels or out to sample Risa’s attractions. He couldn’t bear to face any of them after what he’d done.

No sooner than he'd finished was there a jiggle of the door handle, and then a knock at the door. There was no time to savor the joy of after-climax relaxation. He tucked himself away quickly, focusing on regulating his breathing and the blood that had rushed to his face while snatching paper towels to clean up the mess he’d made. Spock disposed of the soiled towels and washed his hands quickly, trying not to be irritated by the second knock.

The face in the mirror looked almost perfectly calm and stoic. He needed more time to calm himself that he didn’t have. Taking slow breaths he finally reached the door and unlocked it. There was an irritated Bajoran who pushed past him without even asking why the door had been locked. Spock used that to his advantage and rushed out of the bathroom.

He still couldn’t believe what he had done. The connection needed to be adjusted as soon as possible. Blocking it would only work so much. If he didn’t adjust it there was no doubt that it would cause him a great deal more trouble than he was trying to free himself from.


	3. Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No more stalling for Jim. Spock is back for round 2, but Jim's ready for him this time.

Jim’s head was spinning. Had it always been that good with Chris? I mean, he was the only one he was close enough to really connect with when they had sex, but something about this time went above and beyond what he was used to. In some weird way it almost felt like the pleasure he felt was not wholly his own.

He looked up at the older man, who had his eyes closed with a contented smile on his face. They’d already enjoyed their post-coital cuddle and pillow talk. Now Chris was resting peaceful, his busy day behind him. Jim couldn’t blame him; while Chris was quite spry, he wasn’t as young as Jim and couldn’t keep up in the same way.

For a moment he considered spending the night next to him. Jim went through this every time, debating if he really wanted to take what they were to the next level or not. If he did, remaining Chris’ employee would become more complicated than it already was. But was he really satisfied in keeping on this way with him? How long would he continue being just a sweet piece of ass?

Lips pursed, he gently sat up in the bed. The fact that he was having these thoughts yet again meant it was time to make his exit. In a way it was like rehearsing how he dealt with overly attached clients. Before things could get too complicated he disconnected and distanced himself as much as possible. With clients it meant discontinuing relations and transferring them to another courtesan. With Chris it meant leaving before he put his heart at risk.

Making an enticing entrance wasn’t the only reason he came in only his favorite robe. It also made it easier to make a quick exit. Jim gave Chris a parting kiss on the forehead before fleeing the room as quietly as he could.

M’Hari was at the front desk, looking at something on her personal PADD. Slipping past her was easy, although it was not because she was distracted. She was well aware of the affair he and Chris had, and out of courtesy she kept a blind eye to his disappearing and reappearing behind the curtain leading up to his room. Jim was always thankful for that. Tonight was no exception.

He entered his room and stood in the center of it. The familiar feeling of loss crashed into him right on schedule. Each time he came back from Chris’ room it got stronger and stronger. Being with clients never made Jim feel this way, only Chris. How long could he go on like this? What was his breaking point, and what would come of it?

These were not the sort of thoughts he wanted to entertain. He would return to his normal schedule tomorrow, which included an extra long session with Spock to his dismay. Why the hell did Chris have to tack on extra time with a guy who had disrespected him? It didn’t make the extra day of relaxation feel worth it.

His robe slipped off of him for the last time that day as he crawled into his bed. He gave a shout to the computer to turn off the lights and fell into a listless sleep. Just once he wanted to sleep soundly in a bed that was warm with another person’s body heat without it making life difficult. But that was a luxury even the plushest of brothels couldn’t provide. It was a luxury he’d have to turn his life upside down over to get. One day it would be worth that to get it. But not today.

\------

After a full night of desperate meditation, Spock managed to get a small amount of sleep before his arranged outing with his fellow Vulcans. He did a respectable job presenting himself as his usual calm and intellectual self, all things considering. Deep down he was still rattled by his behavior even though he had come to grips with what happened. What was done was done, and he would take measures to prevent any sort of recurrence. 

What he truly wasn’t looking forward to was the need to perform sexually once more with the courtesan in order to correct the connection strength. Spock would much rather make his intentions known and do what was needed, but after what had already been done in secret he would only be inviting more problems than was necessary. Better to do it under the cover of deceit so that there was nothing more to explain or argue about.

When talk of visiting another museum arose Spock politely declined, citing previously arranged plans he was unable to reschedule before withdrawing from them. Being Vulcan, no one went out of their way to insist he join them instead. Doing so would of course be illogical as well as inconsiderate. He was left with his turbulent thoughts the entire way to the brothel.

Spock walked rather than hailing a transport, since he had more than enough time to make his appointment. The temptation to eat something first was firmly ignored. He would work up enough an appetite so that he could eat later.

Half an hour later, he stood outside the door of Paradisa trying to prepare himself for the task at hand. To the onlooker he was debating whether or not to go in. He ignored the surprised looks around him and walked inside. Their opinions did not matter. Only what business he had inside the brothel mattered.

Chris looked up from his console and plastered on what was clearly an insincere smile. “Ah, Mister Spock. Right on time for your appointment with Jim.”

“It is only logical to be punctual for an appointment I had scheduled,” he deadpanned.

“Of course, of course,” Chris laughed humorlessly. “Jim is ready and waiting for you in his room.”

“Then I shall go to him now.” Spock moved to walk down the hall leading to the courtesans’ rooms when Chris stopped him.

“You have remembered what we discussed yesterday, right?” His tone remained bright and friendly, as if he was not referring to the very serious discussion they’d had. The hand on Spock’s chest only exerted enough pressure to imply Spock should not move forward, though Spock knew it could easily perform more forceful actions if Chris so willed it.

Without looking at him, Spock answered. “A Vulcan does not suffer the same memory failures as humans are notorious for.”

Chris removed his hand with a thin smile. “I thought as much. Go have a heck of a time.”

Spock moved forward as if he had never been stopped, not once looking back at Chris as he made his way down the hall. His jaw was firmly set, eyes boring into the far wall at the end of the hallway. Already he was eager to get this over and done with. But he would not be permitted to do as he had the day before. Today he had to engage in pointless frivolities because he’d hurt Jim’s feelings by keeping things as swift as he could.

Feelings. Such droll hindrances. When this was all over he might just undergo Kolinahr just to be done with the damned things completely.

Spock knocked on Jim’s door, glad that he didn’t have Chris to breathe down his neck this time. Though he would deny it to anyone who inquired, standing at the door of a paid sex worker was stressful even for a Vulcan. The seconds he waited for the door to open stretched so that they quite impossibly felt more like minutes, though Spock’s internal clock kept up with the actual passage of time.

Thirty-five seconds after knocking the door opened. Jim stood in the doorway with a mirthless expression on his face. His reluctance to participate in the arranged session was much easier to see than Spock’s. Were he more enthused for the encounter he might be put off.

“Come in,” Jim flatly commanded, walking away from the doorway to give Spock room to enter.

The door wooshed closed behind him, effectively sealing him in until the appointed time had been met in full. Jim had gone to sit on his bed with arms and legs tightly crossed. Not exactly the sort of body language that screamed “I want you, let’s have sex”.

“Sit down,” Jim commanded once more. He motioned to a chair that was positioned a fair distance away from his bed.

Again Spock did as he was told. He tried not to look too put off by Jim’s cold demeanor. For a Vulcan it would not be considered out of place or odd. For a human it was an entirely different story.

When Jim was satisfied that Spock wasn’t going to demand an explanation, he spoke. “I just want to say for the record that I am only doing this because it is my job and not because I take any personal pleasure in having to put up with you again.”

Spock waited to make sure Jim had nothing else to say before he replied. “I thought as much without you needing to make it known. Though I have to say, I had imagined personal preference would matter little to one employed in an establishment like this.”

That was the wrong tactic to take. Jim spat angrily, “You know I seriously don’t get you. You obviously don’t approve of people who do what I do, so why are you even here? Why bother coming back and specifically ask to see me?” He smirked darkly. “What, was my ass so good you got hooked despite yourself? You know I’ve been told that all it takes is one taste of me to get addicted. Maybe Vulcans aren’t immune to my good loving.”

Spock stared blankly at Jim, which proved to be another wrong move. Jim groaned and rolled his eyes, uncrossing and recrossing his legs irritably. “Ugh, I forgot. Vulcans have no sense of humor.”

“That is precisely the problem.”

“Yeah well- wait, what’s the problem? The no sense of humor thing?”

“No. The fact that I am fixated on you.”

Jim gaped at the Vulcan. If he was joking he had absolutely no tell. “You’re...wow. I didn’t think… I was just talking out of my ass.”

“No, you were talking out of your mouth.”

Again Jim stared at Spock, mouth hanging open. His silence erupted in raucous laughter, the likes of which stunned Spock. He didn’t care how crazy he must have looked; he was having himself a very good laugh.

“Holy crap, when you’re not being an asshole you’re actually quite adorable.” The room filled with Jim’s laughter, which he gradually wrangled in so he could speak again. He grabbed a tissue from his nightstand to wipe away a tear at the corner of his eye. “Okay, making me laugh like that makes me think I can forgive you for the other night.”

“That is most fortunate,” Spock said blandly.

Jim sighed, not impressed with Spock’s cardboard personality. “Alright, look, I’m willing to scrap what happened before and start all over today if you are. I can tell you’re curious about all this, even if your Vulcan upbringing tells you that everything about this is illogical and wrong. It’s my job to please you sexually, however you wish me to do it. So tell me, Mister Spock, what is the one thing you could never ask a lover to do with you?”

That was quite a question to ask Spock. Not only were his sexual experiences limited to Pon Farr, but there was little in the way of variation for him. What sort of answer could he provide? How would he be able to even fathom such a thing?

Jim could see Spock’s mind working. Luckily this sort of thing he knew better how to handle with grace. “It’s okay if you can’t answer right away. I’m sure Vulcans hardly ever think of sex in ways beyond inserting one part into another. But this is your chance to break away from the everyday and try something brand new. The sky’s the limit here Spock. And then some, since you don’t have to be so consumed with bothering me with whatever kink you have.”

Jim’s prattling reassurance wasn’t as helpful as he might have liked. Spock pondered a bit longer before he came up with what he thought would be a suitable answer. “For a Vulcan, control is everything. There are few times when a Vulcan can be excused for unrestrained actions and emotions. Were I to pick one thing, it would be to relinquish all control and permit myself to feel as the sensations washed over me. To be pulled freely under wave after wave of pleasure without feeling a need to submerge it and act as though it did not exist.”

Spock recalled what he had done the other night and turned his head away. “I wish simply to feel without regretting it immediately afterward.”

He could feel Jim’s eyes fixed upon him. What he didn’t know, what with his gaze turned away from the courtesan, was that a sharp shiver had run through him, and that there was a slow rise beneath the tightly closed robe he wore.

“Fuck,” Jim breathed. “That’s some intense shit. I mean, I can totally work with that, maybe do some things that are outside your comfort zone that you’ll really enjoy. If you’re up to it, that is.”

Spock nodded, returning his gaze to Jim. He noticed with mild fascination that his cheeks had turned a soft pink, and his eyes had dilated some. It would seem the time for talk was swiftly ending. “I leave myself in your very capable hands.”

That was all Jim needed to hear. He stood from the bed and opened the drawer at his nightstand. Spock was unable to see what he’d pulled out, as Jim put it in his robe pockets to keep Spock from seeing. He then walked up to the chair Spock sat in and straddled his lap. The robe had fallen open and revealed Jim’s nude form beneath it. Spock’s gaze was upon the impressive erection that was now pressed against his clothed stomach when Jim pulled his face up to capture him in a fevered kiss.

Keeping the connection blocked off before now had been paramount to keeping his calm in front of others. Now that he was with Jim there was no reason to keep it sealed. He lowered the barriers around the connection in his mind and was taken aback by the flood of lust that came through. Spock put his hands on Jim’s sides and returned his kiss with an enthusiasm that grew with each passing second.

They remained like that for some time, kissing passionately while Jim’s hands roamed from the sides of Spock’s face to trace the outline of his ears. An imperceptible moan hummed at the back of his throat and grew as Jim’s nimble fingers began to play with the tips. His pants grew tight underneath Jim, a flush rising to color his cheeks and ears.

Jim’s hands disappeared from his ears to Spock’s remorse, but their lips remained fused together. He felt Jim’s hands go to his sides and pull his hands away. One hand disappeared while the other pulled Spock’s hand behind the chair. Something fuzzy closed around his wrist, and then his other hand was pulled around to join the first. Spock pulled back as best as he could and looked at Jim with wide, panicked eyes.

“You have bound me,” he said, perhaps with the slightest quiver in his voice. “Why?”

Jim smirked lasciviously and draped his arms around Spock’s neck. The look on his face was priceless. “Partially to fulfill your fantasy in a way I think suits you best. Partially as revenge for the way you ditched me last time you were here. Vulcans are touch telepaths, and so their hands are very important to them. That means by having your hands bound, your control is stilted even more than the average humanoid.”

He pressed a smoldering kiss to Spock’s lips before getting up and walking back to his bed. He sat with his legs splayed open so that he could idly stroke himself to full hardness. “Oh, just look at you. You almost look scared to be chained up like that.”

Spock had to latch on to the connection and Jim’s emotions just to keep himself calm. There was no trace of malice or ill intent in what he picked up, so he forced himself to calm down. “Was there not any other way you could have done this?”

“Oh, there were so many ways. I actually thought about just tying you to my bed with you stripped naked and unable to escape.” Jim hummed, tongue slipping past his parted lips and slowly running over them. “Even now I’m thinking that would have been better, to have you completely exposed and unable to do a thing to cover yourself or escape. This is nice too though. By now your cock is probably ready to burst out of your pants.”

Jim was very right, though without the connection Spock would more likely be overrun with anxiety and panic at the restraint of his hands. The one saving grace besides that was the overly fuzzy covering of the handcuffs tickled against his hands when he moved them, which provided an unexpected and somewhat effective sexual stimulus.

“Jim,” Spock panted, “please release me. If not my hands, then at least tend to my trousers.”

Still stroking himself, Jim pretended to think about Spock’s request. “No. No, I don’t think I’m going to do that. I think I’d rather show you what you missed out on yesterday in your haste to bust a nut.”

Spock wanted to ask what Jim meant by that, but the sight of Jim standing up again distracted him. For a moment he thought he’d be freed, but instead Jim merely pulled out a bottle of lube from his robe before removing it and placing it at the head of the bed. He sank back down onto the bed, legs still parted, and poured some of the lube onto the head of his cock. The clear liquid slowly dripped down the length until Jim took a hold of himself again and stroked more firmly.

Jim moaned softly, clearly working to put on a show. “See, there’s so much to me you weren’t able to enjoy by being in a rush. So I’m going to treat you to a special showing of me preparing myself just for you Mister Spock. I’m going to finger fuck myself and jerk off until I come on my bed while you sit there and watch, unable to do a thing with those fine Vulcan hands of yours.”

Spock swallowed thickly. Just hearing Jim describe what he planned to do made him throb painfully in his pants. He struggled some against his binds and found it only made him ache all the more for the other man.

Jim did just as he had forewarned. He got into his bed on all fours, legs spread so Spock could see everything. One well lubed hand reached behind him and slid fingers gradually into his ass. One finger, then two, and then three. All the while his other hand continued to stroke himself, honeyed moans dripping from his mouth and echoing in Spock’s mind.

“Just picture yourself pushing into me all the way,” Jim gasped, hips bucking. “Because that’s what I’m doing. I’m thinking about you plunging into me and fucking me like your life depended on it.”

Spock was vaguely aware of the indentions his teeth were making on the inside of his bottom lip. He didn’t want to give Jim the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to him. Even without the lust that bombarded him it was hard not to be affected by Jim’s wanton display.

With a shaky voice Jim continued. “And I know you want to do that to me right now. I can tell you’re dying to break out of those cuffs and fuck me into this mattress.” He laughed through a moan. “That’s why I picked such a sturdy chair instead of one of our more comfortable ones. Didn’t want you to break the chair just to come and fuck me. I want you stuck in that chair, helpless while I pleasure myself in front of you.”

Those were the last words he heard Jim utter. After that he was so lost in his own pleasure, in the sensations he was creating for himself, that he was unable to say another word. The only sounds were that of his loud moans, punctuating the enticing display he put on for a now very frustrated and aroused Spock.

And then Jim came with a shout, hips jerking down toward the mattress as he spilled his release onto the bed beneath him. His wasn’t the only orgasm, as Spock curled in on himself and came in his far too tight pants. The inside of his mouth was nearly bloody from the force in which he bit down, determined not to utter even the tiniest moan even as the inside of his boxers became a warm mess.

Jim remained where he was for a moment and struggled to catch his breath. When he opened his eyes he could see a very weary and green faced Spock behind him. He smiled lazily and carefully returned to an upright position. He kept his back to Spock, his softening cock still in his hand.

“That’s a special treat just for you,” he said. “To celebrate the extra long session Chris scheduled for you.”

He got out of the bed and walked to his bathroom, taking his time to wash his hands and clean himself up. Just because they were going to fuck didn’t mean he wanted to be a mess from his demonstration when they did. Plus it gave time for Spock to stew with no way to come after him.

Spock was just as green in the face when Jim returned, his breath coming out in ragged puffs. He noticed with mild interest that the inside of his lips were also a moist green. Smirking, he sank down between Spock’s legs and gazed up at him.

“My, but you’re a little bit of a mess. Did something happen to your lip?” When he got no response he simply laughed and reached for the front of Spock’s pants. “I have to wonder if I’ll find a similar mess down here.”

With a minimal amount of fumbling Jim was able to work Spock’s pants open. He gasped dramatically at the sight he’d been welcomed with, then dissolved into giggles. “Oh my Mister Spock. Is this all because of me?”

Spock finally spoke, his voice rough and deep. “You know quite well it is because of you.”

“Well, I’m still quite impressed,” Jim giggled, eager to act as though the difference in Spock's voice had no effect on him. “I never thought I’d have this much of an impact without even touching you. You Vulcans are so very good at concealing yourselves and your true thoughts. How refreshing it is to see you still react like this with the right stimuli.”

Without waiting for any additional comments he carefully worked Spock out of his pants and soiled boxers. Before Spock could inquire as to what he was doing Jim's mouth was on him, licking and lapping at his length to both clean him and arouse him slowly back to full length. Jim was wise enough to do his research, and found that the refractory time for Vulcans was shorter than humans. Most likely because of their weird mating patterns, which he was only able to find minimal information about. He would be able to have Spock stiff in all his green-blooded glory well before he was ready to be fucked, which meant plenty of time to tease him.

Once Spock was clean of his mess his erection stood tall and marvelously green again. It also gave Jim a chance to really take a look at what Spock had between his legs. He noted the long shaft that led to an emerald green double ridged head. That alone was not all too unusual. He did note with interest that rather than a sack for testicles, there was a long slit which the shaft protruded from. Curious, he traced the slit with a finger, wondering if he’d somehow missed reading that Vulcans were hermaphrodites.

The light touch was what finally persuaded Spock to moan audibly. Jim had been so surprised to hear it that his head snapped up at the sound. His face then broke out into a toothy grin. “Well, aren’t you just full of secrets. Sensitive area, huh?”

Without waiting for Spock to answer he pressed his finger past the slit, noting with interest that doing so made Spock throw his head back and moan again. There wasn’t much depth to push his finger into, but it was enough to mimic fucking Spock. He added a finger and moved both in and out of the shallow slit, licking the underside of Spock’s shaft. Already he could feel his body reacting, but he knew he wasn’t quite ready to move on. Right now it was enough to have Spock squirming and making beautiful noises loud enough for him to hear.

After all, there were enough similarities between them for Jim to know that Spock wouldn’t come for a while even with such a sensitive area being touched. Knocking out the first orgasm, unintentional as it had been where Spock was concerned, had ensured they would fuck for a good, long time.

He continued to prod and tease Spock until he’d finally worked himself back to hardness, then pulled away to smirk at Spock. “I do think I’ve tortured you long enough. You’re doing remarkably well, moaning so nicely for me like that. I’m ready to reward you for bearing with it.” 

Spock had nothing to say, and that was fine. Jim was back on his feet and straddling Spock’s lap, slowly lowering himself down. He shivered when he felt the head pressing at his entrance, but he didn’t give Spock much of a chance to prepare. Down he sank, just fast enough to have an effect without hurting too much from the sudden stretching. He remembered fondly that the Vulcan had somehow drawn away whatever discomfort he might feel, and after his close examination of Spock's anatomy he attributed that to the natural lubrication he produced. 

Jim now took this opportunity to wrap his arms around Spock’s neck and crush their mouths together in a passionate kiss. He felt his erection twitch when Spock moaned into his mouth. He planted his feet firmly on the floor and began to push himself up, beginning a slow, deliberate rhythm. 

Ever the one to tantalize his clients, he broke away to smile. “God you feel so good inside of me. Isn’t this better than just fucking me and walking off?”

Spock’s eyes were completely dilated. All he could do was pant and stare at Jim helplessly. Then, when Jim was about to kiss him again, Spock began to speak in Vulcan. 

“You tease me so, yet I burn for you.”

Jim’s eyes went wide, and for a moment he forgot to move. He couldn’t let Spock know he understood him, if he did they’d have all sorts of problems again. “C’mon babe, if you’re going to talk dirty to me, do it so I can understand you.”

Spock didn’t listen. “I would touch minds with you but you bind me. Such a horrible tease...I wish so desperately to touch you.”

Jim moaned, wondering how he was beginning to lose control of a situation where he was supposed to be in full control. He started to bounce on Spock’s lap a little faster, already aching to climax again in the man’s lap. “There’s something about hearing you talk like that that’s getting me so hot....keep going…”

Spock leaned forward as much as he could so that he could whisper into Jim’s ear in Standard. “If you want all of me, you should uncuff me.”

Jim sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. Whether it was in Standard or Vulcan, anything Spock said to him turned him on. The temptation was great, but he resisted. “N-no chance buddy. It’s not often I get to ride a handcuffed Vulcan. I’m going to enjoy this thoroughly.” 

The two remained as they were in the chair, Jim bobbing with increasing speed on Spock’s swollen member. Spock had his head thrown back to rest against the wall behind him, hips lifting in the chair to thrust more fully into Jim. All the while he kept uttering things in Vulcan that he had no idea Jim could understand.

It was maddening not being able to touch Jim, but at the same time it took him to a different level of pleasure he wasn’t used to. The connection between him and Jim was enough to compensate for not being able to fully meld. Their lust fed into each other in an infinite loop, and their mutual words of pleasure in different languages escalated to a fever pitch. Jim was slamming himself down onto Spock and Spock was thrusting roughly upward, which in turn rubbed the fuzzy cuffs against his hands more and more.

Despite Spock’s head start Jim came first, fist balled around his length as he shot onto Spock’s still clothed stomach. Spock came not long after, filling Jim with a wonderful heat that made both of them quiver. The two men then remained still, save for the heaving of their chests as they struggled to catch their breath.

Jim clung to Spock, his head on the man’s shoulder. “Holy fuck,” he breathed when he had enough time to recuperate. “I thought the other night was a fluke, but you're seriously in the top five best fucks I've had in my life.”

“I shall take that as a compliment,” Spock answered, breathing better than his partner. “May I please be freed now?”

Jim sighed. “I suppose so. Although I really think having you like that made a world of difference.” He slowly lifted off of Spock, disappearing not only to get the key, but to clean himself up and bring a rag to clean Spock. When he returned, he meticulously cleaned up first the mess on Spock’s shirt, then that of his groin. He was careful not to stimulate or hurt him, making sure every bit was clean. 

Only then did he finally unlock Spock’s cuffs. “There now, all clean and free to-”

To Jim's surprise, Spock was out of the chair and kissing him passionately in an instant. Spock pushed back until they fell upon the bed, kissing each other with a desperate need neither could voice with words. Jim wasn't sure he could manage a third round so soon, but trying for it would be fun. 

Spock wouldn't get the chance to try for a third round. An alarm rang loudly, so loud it hurt Spock’s ears. “What is that noise?”

Jim turned to the client chronometer as it spoke. “Session with Client Spock over. Please ask client to leave immediately.”

Grumbling, Jim crawled over to it and smacked it until it silenced its shriek. He looked back at Spock, who had the oddest look of loss on his face. “Sorry,” he said quietly. “Time for you to go.”

Spock nodded absently and moved to recover his clothes. Jim picked them up and awkwardly said, “We can wash this for you free of charge and return it to your hotel. If you want that is.”

“That is appreciated but unnecessary,” Spock replied. “Thank you for an amenable session.”

“Yeah, yeah sure. It's my job,” Jim said with a crooked smile. “Better go before the alarm goes off again.”

Spock nodded and left the room, leaving a shell shocked Jim standing by the bed. 

He checked out with Chris, who was still falsely polite. When he left the brothel with his still damp shirt he cursed himself. Not once had he touched Jim's mind. The connection was as strong as before. He closed it off and plotted. He had only one more day on Risa before they had to return. He shuddered to think of the consequences if he didn't alter the connection strength before he left.


	4. Unintentional Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spock has to go in a hurry, which doesn't leave Jim in a good place.

Luck was not a thing that Vulcans, let alone Spock prescribed to. Life was merely a collection of coincidences and events brought on as consequences of past actions. At any rate, “luck” was not on Spock’s side.

Before he’d gone to bed that night he contacted Paradisia to schedule one last appointment with Jim. He knew he had one last chance to reduce the strength of the connection he’d made with the courtesan, and he’d have to make it count. The lady he’d made the appointment with, one M’Hari, was far easier to deal with than Chris. She was precise and to the point, which he appreciated.

He had gone to bed knowing that it would be all over the next day, but when he woke up in the early hours of the morning all of that changed. An urgent transmission came in on his communicator that woke him from his sleep. He blinked blearily in the dark as he held the device to his face.

“This is Spock.”

“Professor Spock, this is First Officer T’Kari. Shore leave has been prematurely terminated. Please pack your belongings and check out from your room. Your fellow crew members will likewise be informed and shall meet you at the rendezvous point at 0530 hours.”

Still struggling to clear his vision he looked at the chronometer that glowed in the darkness. It was 0336. While that left him with more than enough time to prepare for the day, pack his belongings, check out and meet with his fellow crew members, it also meant there was no way he could see Jim before he left.

“Professor Spock?”

Spock didn’t realize he had not spoken for twelve seconds. He spoke evenly into his communicator. “Acknowledged. I shall be at the rendezvous point at 0530 hours as requested. Will we be reconvening at the star base?”

“Negative. The Soval has been granted clearance to directly beam you aboard from the planet’s orbit.”

“Can you tell me what the situation is that requires shore leave to be terminated in such a manner?”

T’Kari was showing the barest signs of irritation. “There is not enough time to discuss the particulars at this time. All details will be provided to you after you’ve been brought back aboard the Soval.”

That wasn’t exactly satisfactory, but considering how many crew members had to be contacted, T’Kari was likely attempting to expedite the process by forgoing individual explanations. If he was needed back aboard the ship, that was all that had to be said.

“Understood. I will be prepared to board the ship at the appointed time.”

“As will be expected of you. T’Kari out.”

Spock snapped his communicator closed, frustration washing over him. Of course his first duty was to his ship and their mission. That did not mean that he was happy with the missed opportunity to correct what he had done in his haste. There was not much time. He would need to prepare for his departure quickly to avoid delaying the rest of the crew. He quickly went to his console and patched a connection to Paradisia.

A somewhat exhausted M’Hari answered the call. “Mister Spock. Calling again so soon?”

“With regrettable news. I must cancel my appointment for this evening with Jim. I am being called back to my ship for an emergency situation. Please send him my apologies for the cancellation.”

“Think nothing of it. He doesn’t get his schedule for the day until 0900. He’s not even aware of the appointment you had made.” 

An unusual pang struck him at the news. He pondered it while pressing on. “Then that is for the best. If my travels bring me back to Risa in the future, I shall keep Paradisia and Jim in my considerations.”

“We always welcome return business. Be well Mister Spock.”

Spock offered the ta’al. “May your business continue to prosper.” 

The transmission was cut and Spock went about his way preparing for his departure. There wasn’t much in the way of packing needed, but considering the amount of time left he needed to move swiftly. With his two bags packed he exited the room and made his way down to the lobby. There was an after hours kiosk available for him to check out at without the need for a physical being to be present and he was on his way.

With little time to spare he hailed a hover taxi to take him to the rendezvous point. He tipped the driver liberally upon his arrival and met with his fellow Vulcans. There was a silent acknowledgement of his presence and, Spock being the last one to arrive, a call to their ship to beam up. The world around them went blindingly white, and with that he was back aboard the Soval. T’Kari awaited them in the transporter room.

“There is not much time,” she said tersely. “The crew is ordered to man their stations immediately. The captain will address the situation that we find ourselves in once we’ve cleared orbit. Everyone to your posts.”

Spock’s group had to have been the last to board the Soval, if the way T’Kari spun on her heel and exited the transporter room was any indication. The other Vulcans around him sprung into action and followed after her. Spock, being a simple researcher on the ship, found himself with little to do except to return to his room and await the announcement.

\------

Jim was not enjoying sex with his clients.

He had no explanation for it, save for the constant dull ache in his head that distracted him. Over the counter painkillers did nothing to relieve the ache to his frustration. To his dismay, it was having a real impact on his performance in bed. So much so that one client actually stopped mid-session to comment on it.

“What’s with you?” Martouk asked. His irritation mixed with mild concern. “You don’t seem yourself.”

“Sorry,” Jim replied. He didn’t feel well enough to be dishonest with his client. “I’m a little off. Got this nagging headache that won’t go away.”

“I’ve heard sex can help with that.”

“Me too, and usually that’s true. I’ve had no luck yet, and it’s been two days now.”

“Perhaps you just need me to make it better.”

Jim put on his best smile and forced himself to get through it. He had to do a bit of acting to display some of his usual gusto, but he was able to pull the wool over his client’s eyes. Martouk was happy with the performance, whether he believed it to be genuine or not. He smiled lazily at Jim at the end, arm around Jim’s shoulders.

“That is the Jim I am used to,” he panted. 

“Guess you really were all I needed to perk back up,” Jim said with a prettily painted smile.

Martouk laughed and gave Jim a kiss on his forehead. “Well, if you ever need my services in the future, I will happily move my schedule around just for you.”

Jim went through the motions and saw his happy client out. The moment his door shut and Martouk was out of sight the smile fell. He strode over to his console and furiously contacted Doctor McCoy. The house doctor’s grumpy face appeared after two rings.

“This better not be about an STD,” he grumbled. “I keep telling Chris to get the door scanner updated but he keeps telling me-”

“This isn’t about an STD,” Jim interjected irritably. He wasn’t up for this but he needed a doctor for whatever was going on with his head. “I’ve got this headache that won’t go away. I’ve already tried the stuff I have on hand and it’s not working.”

McCoy raised an eyebrow. “That stuff is supposed to be able to blast away a migraine in half an hour. You’re seriously telling me that you took a hit of it and it did nothing?”

“Do I ever lie about this sort of thing, Bones?”

The doctor frowned at the nickname. If he wasn’t concerned about what might be happening to Jim, he would have made a snappish remark about it as he always did. “No, you don’t. If there’s one thing you are besides insufferable, it’s honest about your health. You got any more clients tonight?”

“No, my last one was Martouk, and he just walked out.”

“Good, because I’d tell Chris to cancel whomever you have next so I can thoroughly examine you. Get your ass cleaned up and in my office as soon as possible. No lolly-gagging dammit.”

Before he could deliver a witty reply the transmission was cut. Jim rolled his eyes and got out of his seat. Sometimes McCoy was less of a doctor and more of a nagging mother. He washed up thoroughly in the shower and properly clothed himself for the visit. One pair of faded jeans and a plain white t-shirt later, he was out of his room and heading to McCoy’s office.

A knock wasn’t needed when he arrived. The door flew open the second he raised his hand. The doctor frowned at Jim and waved him in, door closing with a thud. Sometimes Jim wondered if the door was rigged to reflect McCoy’s mood.

“Get on the bio bed,” McCoy gruffed.

Jim followed directions, albeit none too happily. He watched as McCoy went through the usual evaluation routine of waving a tricorder over him to look for anything unusual in his system. When he found nothing he actually frowned deeper.

“Medically speaking, you’re in perfect health. I’m not even showing anything vital wise that could account for the headache you’re feeling. This isn’t just some lame ploy to see me and attempt to seduce me again, is it?”

“Hardly,” Jim said, rolling his eyes. “If it was, I’d be a lot more flirtatious and a lot less irritated. So if nothing physically is causing it, what is? And why is it getting worse instead of better?”

“Why don’t we start with when you first felt it?”

“Two days ago. I woke up with it and nothing I’ve done has helped. I’ve upped my water consumption, I’ve gotten pressure point massages, I took a couple extra naps, I’ve taken double the dosage for the pain medicine-”

“You’re not supposed to do that without express permission from a physician-”

“My point is that nothing that should work is working and it’s getting in the way of my job. I need this fixed Bones. I don’t want to have to fake my way through another session the way I did today. I’m not that damned good of an actor.”

McCoy sighed and scratched at his head. “If there was something wrong I would see it in my tricorder Jim. I can always do a cat scan and see if there’s something my tricorder somehow isn’t picking up on if it makes you feel better.”

“Yes, fine, do that. Whatever it takes, just make this pain go away!”

The process was relatively simple. Where once a cat scan would involve a massive machine and protection for medical attendants, Jim needed to only sit up and have a sort of halo waved up and down around his head. The results came quickly, and had McCoy frowning more than usual.

“That doesn’t seem right.”

“What doesn’t seem right?” Jim was now vaguely frightened, but also prepared for a snarky joke from his doctor. It wouldn’t have been the first time McCoy pulled such a joke on him, but he was so worried about the unusual nature of his symptoms that he was ready to fall into the trap.

There was no amusement or playfulness in McCoy’s voice when he asked his next question. “Jim, have you been messing around with any Vulcans lately?”

Jim’s eyes doubled in size. “Yes...I had a client come to me twice in the last week. Why?”

“Because,” McCoy began, looking away from the PADD that held the cat scan’s findings and locking eyes with Jim, “you have what’s classified as a pre-marital mental link with one.”

Jim’s heart plunged into his stomach. “Bullshit.”

“Do you have a medical degree? Do you know how to interpret the findings of a cat scan? Would you even know what the hell you’re looking at if I showed this thing to you?” He shook the PADD for dramatic effect. “I’m telling you, the activity I’m seeing in your brain is consistent with that of a humanoid experiencing withdrawal symptoms from a pre-marital mental link with a Vulcan.”

“God dammit,” Jim cursed. “That hand thingie he did to me the first time we were together, that must have been when he did it! I knew something was up!”

McCoy frowned. “You mean you had a Vulcan put his hand on your head during sex and you didn’t say a damned thing about it until now?!”

Jim threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “I thought he was just being kinky in a weird Vulcan-y way! It was bad enough he was saying all kinds of crazy things to me in Vulcan.”

McCoy stepped closer to Jim, his eyes narrowed. “What kind of crazy things?”

The way McCoy was looking at him made him really nervous. “I-I don’t know. Really possessive stuff. Stuff like ‘You’re mine alone’ and ‘No one else can have you’.” When McCoy groaned, he retorted, “Hey, I hear that kind of crap all the damned time from my clients! You don’t suddenly get suspicious about that kind of talk just because someone says it in their native tongue!”

“You do when it’s a Vulcan and he puts his damned hand on your face while he says it! Jesus, Jim, I thought you were supposed to be smart!”

“I am smart! I was smart enough to teach myself Vulcan so that I could even tell he was saying that in the first place!”

Jim froze as everything started to piece together in his mind. “Oh no…”

“‘Oh no?”

“Now I know why he freaked out when he found out I knew Vulcan.”

“Come again?”

Jim stared at McCoy, a mild look of horror on his face. “I think he intended to do this from the beginning.”

McCoy’s eyes narrowed. “Are you telling me this guy came to a whorehouse looking for his future mate?”

“Yeah...yeah I think he did.” Jim stared out into space as he recalled the events of that night. The way Spock was so cold and rude. The way he attempted to storm out when he knew Jim at least knew some Vulcan. His rough bedside manner, and his unceremonious retreat when it was over. “He never intended to just come and sample the pleasures of the flesh. He was looking for someone to make the connection with.”

“But why? What would he have to gain by that?”

“More importantly, why did he make a return visit if he had already achieved what he had set out to get?”

“Wait a minute, he came back?”

“Yeah. I had Chris read him the riot act for the way he acted before and he came in all apologetic and polite.” A brief smirk flickered on Jim’s face. “I made sure to get him back for the way he treated me the night before…”

McCoy put up his hand and grimaced. “Spare me the gory details, please.”

The smirk returned and remained fixed in place. “He was denied the chance to touch me, or at least at first he was. By the time I caved and set him free he was about to…” His gaze darted toward McCoy, who was giving him a warning with only his eyes. “He didn’t get the opportunity to do anything with his hands this time. The timer went off and he had to leave. He was really reluctant to go, but I figured that had more to do with how much fun he had than with anything else.”

McCoy rolled his eyes and put the PADD he was holding down on a counter. He leaned back and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Did you get to see him again?”

“No, he never came back. I assume he had to go back to wherever he was from.” Jim shrugged. “He didn’t exactly owe me a heartfelt farewell.”

“But he does owe you an explanation about the link you two share now. We better get a hold of Chris and let him know what’s happened. If this link of yours is going to interfere with your work he has a right to know why.”

The color drained from Jim’s face. “I’m not sure that’s going to be a good idea.”

McCoy looked at him incredulously. “You’re kidding right? I’m in charge of keeping his courtesans healthy both physically and mentally. Right now you’re suffering in both ways, and if I don’t report this to him, I’ll be out of a job.”

Jim scoffed and crossed his arms. “You say that like you don’t have something else you can fall back on.”

McCoy moved into Jim’s personal space and fixed a stony look upon him. He jabbed a finger at the younger man and ground out through clenched teeth, “You out of everyone ought to know how much better the pay is for someone who has the kind of reputation Christopher Pike has. One month’s pay from him is more than triple what I would make working at a more legitimate establishment. And with my reputation as a doctor, that’s saying a hell of a lot. That money helps me support my daughter and that bitch of an ex I share custody with. I like you Jim, but not nearly enough to fuck my money up.”

Jim was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. He knew all about Joanna and the nasty divorce McCoy had gone through. They’d discussed it over drinks more than once in the time they’d known each other, and Jim was thankful someone in this universe had a father around who fought so hard to care for their child. Of course, Jim’s probably would have been just as diligent a father if he had lived past his birth, but he’ll never have the pleasure of knowing for sure.

He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “Fine. If telling Chris means you keep your job, then let’s get it over with. At least one of us will have one when this is all over.”

McCoy softened at Jim’s words. “Hey kid, you’re not gonna lose your job over this. You had nothing to do with what that Vulcan did to you, and you didn’t know anything had even happened until I checked you out. If anyone should be worried, it’s that green-blooded bastard. Chris will pull all the strings at his disposal to hunt him down and make him fix what he’s done.”

“I hope you’re right,” Jim said with a small smile. “It’d be nice to have the kind of headache that sex can actually fix again.”

\---

“Are you fucking kidding me?!”

Chris was not taking the news well.

“You mean to tell me that same asshole that came through twice in two days put the equivalent of a damned engagement ring in your head?! And now you’re in so much discomfort without him that you can barely think straight?”

“That’s about the long and short of it,” Jim mumbled, eyes fixed on Chris’ desk instead of his face. He knew exactly what kind of look he was aiming at him, and he didn’t have the stomach for it.

Chris pounded his fist into the desk so hard it would have cracked the wood if it hadn’t been insanely expensive and incredibly dense. He looked about ready to spit fire from his mouth with every word. “Leonard, what happens if we leave this weird Vulcan hoodoo in his head without doing anything about it?”

“Hard to say,” McCoy sighed. “There’s not a lot of information about the effects on Vulcan mind links in non-Vulcans. My guess would be that the longer Jim goes without being with him, the greater the amount of discomfort he’ll find himself in. I don’t really have much to go off of with that though. Humans are damned near psi-null, so the fact that he’s having this kind of effect is both unprecedented and essentially unknown territory. There’s a few folks I could reach out to and get their theories about it, but that will take some time.”

“Save it,” Chris spat. “I’m going to hunt this asshole down and drag him back here by his fucking ears if I have to.” He shot a look at Jim, who was still doing a good job of examining the quality of his desk instead of making eye contact. “Just answer me one question Jim: you didn’t in any way consent to this did you? Either willingly or unknowingly?”

“No,” Jim answered. “I know enough about Vulcans to think he was just being sexy or whatever. I didn’t think he was doing anything like that. Hell, even if I did, I wouldn’t know what to expect other than his hand on my face.”

“Good enough for me.” Chris rose from his seat and walked around the desk to where Jim stood. Without looking at him, he spoke to McCoy, his eyes fixed on Jim’s face. “Leonard, thank you for letting me know what’s happened. Can you give us some time alone?”

“Of course.” Without missing a beat McCoy turned and left the room, the door clicking behind him. He knew they had a thing going on, and didn’t want to be present as they had a more personal discussion about what had happened to Jim.

Now that they were alone, Chris cupped Jim’s face with his hands and gently lifted it. The affectionate move was enough to finally convince Jim to meet Chris’ gaze. While he expected to see anger directed at him, instead he saw a very profound sadness.

“I’m so sorry, Jim,” Chris whispered. He ran a thumb over Jim’s bottom lip and put their foreheads together. “I should have known there was something weird with him the moment he came in. You shouldn’t be going through this right now.”

“It’s not your fault.” Jim put his hands on top of Chris’ and gave them a tender squeeze. “There’s no way you could have known. I don’t blame you for this.”

“I blame myself for this. I should have sent him out on his ass, I should have said we don’t serve Vulcans-”

“There’s no way you would have deliberately discriminated against a possible client,” Jim laughed sadly.

“I would have, for you. What he did was wrong, but the fact that he did it to you, and without your permission…”

“I’m fine, Chris. It’s just a bad headache, that’s all.”

Chris’ eyes grew glossy as he stared at Jim. “It’s more than that. He forced himself on to you and now you’re paying the price for something you never asked for. I swore to you that you’d never have to deal with anything like that ever again after what happened before-”

“This isn’t that,” Jim interrupted, gently lowering Chris’ hands from his face and stepping back. “This isn’t anything like what happened to me back then. You’ve been so good about making sure you have good, respectful clients in here for everyone, not just me.”

Chris’ voice was getting thick with an emotion Jim wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to be there. “Jim, you know I’m going to put my fist through his face the moment we hunt him down and get him to undo this. Even if he cooperates, even if he agrees without a fuss, I swear to God I’m going to hit him, and I’m going to keep hitting him until my hand gives out.”

There was a lump forming in Jim’s throat that he didn’t want. These weren’t the kind of feelings he wanted to deal with, least of all with Chris. God, he would have rathered he was getting berated, that Chris was telling him he got what was coming to him. He could defend himself against that sort of thing. Not this.

“Please don’t do that,” he said, his own eyes starting to well up with tears. “Not again.”

Chris moved in suddenly and kissed Jim fiercely on the lips, tears slipping past his closed eyes and falling down his cheeks. That undid the threadbare control Jim had over his emotions and he found himself crying into the kiss. All of a sudden it was like he was back at the Crimson Den all over again. It was just like the night that Chris burst into the room and beat the employee that was forcing himself onto him within an inch of his life. Back then, Chris was just a visitor to the brothel, checking in with a fellow business owner when he happened to hear what was happening and rushed to the rescue. He knew it cost Chris an arm and a leg to buy him from the Crimson Den’s owner, but after that he finally began feeling safe again. Safe enough to begin loving his job again. Safe enough to have standards for his clients and to befriend his fellow courtesans. Safe enough to let his guard down and let Chris into his heart.

They remained entangled like that for some time, simply kissing and crying in each other’s arms. There weren't any words needed at that moment, just the comfort that only they could provide one another. It wasn’t often they could let their guards down and just allow themselves to feel the raw emotions that no one could evoke within them.

Eventually, they were able to pull themselves out of the kiss and simply embraced. Jim rested his head on Chris’ shoulder and cried quietly, melting into the strong embrace Chris offered him. He let the older man rock him and rub his back comfortingly as he allowed himself to be weak for once. This was the only place he ever truly felt safe like this.

“You can stay here with me,” Chris said. “I’m not going to make you work in this condition. We’ll get this resolved and when you’re ready, you can go back to work. Same as it was before.”

It was tempting. He knew there was nothing to be done for the headache, and if he was with Chris he’d know he would be spared from having to perform through the pain. Doing so would put him at risk of upsetting his clientele, or worse, getting so sick that he ended up needing to be watched over in a hospital from the exertion.

But no. He couldn’t do that. Doing so would mean being open to taking things to another level with Chris. And he certainly wasn’t in a position to do that in his current state. Afterwards? Maybe. It was a definite possibility. But he wouldn’t do it while he was this vulnerable. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

“I’ll take you up on the offer to stop working for now,” Jim managed to say. He pulled back and wiped at his tear stained face, trying to regain some of his dignity. “But I’ll stay in my room. It was one thing when I first got here, after everything that happened. I’m not broken the way I was then. I certainly can’t perform the way I want to, but I’m not having to put myself back together like I did before. Besides, the others already know I’m your little darling. If I suddenly stay with you and stop working it’ll cause more problems for you.”

It was a little flimsy, but it seemed good enough for Chris at that moment. He gave a sad nod and pitiful smile. It was clear that he would have prefered Jim take him up on his offer, but he wasn’t going to fight him on it. “If that’s what you’re comfortable with, then that’s what we’ll do. Do you want to at least spend the night?”

“Right now I just want to go soak in the bath and rest. But if you wanted me to maybe come back tomorrow and just have a drink or something, I’d like that.”

The sadness on Chris’ face was almost too much to bear. “Yeah, I’d be fine with that. This will give me time to start looking into who that Vulcan is and where we might be able to find him.”

“Good.” Jim took a deep breath and smacked his face a few times, trying to get himself settled again. He forced a smile and let clapped his hands together. “Right, well, you know where I’ll be if anything comes up.”

He turned away from Chris and made his way to the door, but he paused after opening it. He turned to look at the older man, who looked heartbroken to watch him leave. “Thank you for taking care of me, Chris.”

Chris gave Jim a watery smile and nodded. “Anything for you, Jim.”

With that Jim left the room and made a quick retreat to his room. The emotions were swelling in him again, and he wanted to let them out where no one would be able to see. Damn that Vulcan to hell. The sex had been good, but he was no longer sure if it was worth all of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, time slipped past me today. Nearly forgot to update!


	5. The Pain of Separation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spock has his hands full in more ways than one. Jim is in a world of hurt.

The next two weeks had been a bit of a blur. Word had reached the Soval that a nearby Vulcan colony was suffering a sudden blight that was wiping out their entire food supply. With the Soval being the nearest science vessel to handle such an emergency, they were forced to make haste to the colony and do what they could to help.

The blight blind-sighted the Vulcans who had set up on the small M-class planet. While Federation history had records of a similar blight on Tarsus IV, this one acted far faster than the colony was equipped to deal with. By the time the Soval arrived, nearly half of the colony’s crops had been infected and rendered inedible. While they worked feverishly to fight the blight, another ship was on its way to provide the colonists with emergency rations and additional supplies for replenishing the crops that had been lost. Tensions were high all around, and even the calmest among them found their emotions slipping through their weakened mental defenses. 

At last, the blight was stopped and the colony’s crops saved from complete annihilation. But the damage had been done, and the colony was woefully low on food supplies before the Stentar arrived to help. The crew of the Soval was granted permission to leave and allow the Stentar to carry on the rebuilding of the colony’s food supply.

Spock was beyond exhausted when he finally returned to his quarters aboard the ship. He’d gone several days without adequate sleep, relentlessly working to put a stop to the blight along with the rest of the crew. Just as he was about to collapse onto his bed and rest, an alert came from his vid com on his desk. Despite his physical exhaustion, he forced himself to walk toward the vid comm at his desk instead of passing out. Moments before he missed the transmission, he pressed the button. 

“This is Spock.”

When he accepted the call, he neglected to see who was reaching out to him. To his absolute surprise, he saw the irate face of the brothel owner he’d dealt with in what felt like a Vulcan year ago. Before he could say another word, Chris launched into a vicious verbal assault.

“You green-blooded, pointy-eared, son of a fucking bitch! How dare you establish a non-consensual mental link with one of my courtesans? I have half a mind to get a lawyer and sue the ever-loving shit out of you!”

Spock blinked in complete and genuine shock. How did they find out about the link? And more importantly, how was this man able to track him down and contact him directly like this?

His shocked silence prompted Chris to continue his rant. “Jim’s been complaining about a headache since the day you left Risa and hasn’t been able to see any clients or even function because of what you did! Never mind the money he and I have both been losing out of, you’ve endangered his very health, which goes against everything I pride myself in as his employer! It’s taken me over a damned week just to track you down and chew you out personally, so if you don’t find a way to get your ass back here and undo what you’ve done immediately, I’ll personally see to it that you rot in the worst penal colony in the entire sector!”

Guilt now settled deep in Spock’s stomach like lead. His exhaustion was too great for him to be mentally prepared for a confrontation of this sort. He knew there was absolutely nothing that he could do to make amends for his actions except to simply apologize.

“I am truly sorry,” he said weakly, eyes unfocused as he began to contemplate just what the repercussions of his actions had led to. “My ship has only just finished a rather extensive mission. I will make arrangements to come by immediately and correct what I have done.”

If the brief pause in his fiery tirade was an indicator, Chris hadn’t expected Spock to be so compliant. “Good,” the man spat, giving Spock a strange look. “I still haven’t decided whether I’ll be pressing charges or not. I don’t know how the son of an ambassador could ever conduct himself in such a sloppy, selfish manner.”

Spock wanted to ask so many questions about how Chris had gotten his contact information, and how he knew he was the son of an ambassador, but he knew he had no right to ask such things now. He nodded mutely in response to Chris’ venom dipped words, his shoulders slumped and posture absolutely appalling for a Vulcan. 

The older human’s eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of Spock, trying to discern just from what he was seeing what could possibly be the matter. He shook his head abruptly and quickly added, “We’ll be expecting you,” before ending the transmission from his end.

Spock hardly noticed the silence that now rang throughout the room he sat in. He was so very tired, but there was no way he could simply go to sleep and deal with this later. This man, who he assumed was a simple brothel manager, had managed to track him down and contact him aboard the Soval. The sheer amount of dedication he had to finding and confronting him couldn’t easily be ignored.

As much as it pained him, he would have to notify the captain. It had taken him so long for the crew to not look at him with quiet contempt as he worked among them. The only thing that helped them to change their minds was the captain’s recommendation of Spock’s contributions and the proof of his worthiness of it. This situation was a threat to his reputation both as a member of the crew and as a Vulcan, but it had to be rectified. 

He took as brief a moment as he could to prepare him for the uncomfortable discussion he would need to have with the captain. A full night’s rest and a decent meditation would make this easier, but that would have to wait until after he’d made arrangements to return to Risa. With or without the Soval, he had to clean up the mess he’d made.

\----

Jim sat with his head cradled in his hands. His head felt like it was going to split open like an egg. The dull ache had morphed into a full blown explosion in his mind. Sometimes he got snippets of emotions that he knew for a fact weren’t his. Emotions that reminded him of a horrible time he’d rather completely forget. There were times he felt exhausted without explanation, only to feel just fine in a matter of minutes. His condition was so bad now that even with the lights out and the air at the perfect temperature, he felt like everything overwhelmed his senses.

Eating was damned near impossible. He’d been reduced to drinking food in smoothies and taking nutrient supplement pills to avoid the nausea that came with the actual act of eating. Not to mention how chewing now brought him to the brink of tears. Which was an absolute shame, because that meant he couldn’t even derive the smallest of pleasures through eating now that sexual intercourse was completely off the menu.

He’d begged McCoy to sedate him until Spock would arrive. At this point he wasn’t even living, just waiting in constant agony for the Vulcan to return to him. The doctor seemed very tempted to do just that, but he was concerned that doing so might put him at a greater risk with the limited information they had about mental links between Vulcans and non-Vulcans.

Jim was losing sleep as well. He had tried in vain to go to sleep on his own, but nothing ever seemed to work. It was maddening. He literally couldn’t function on a basic level anymore. If there was ever a time he grossly underestimated what he could survive as a person without going insane, it was now.

The light knock at his door might as well have been a bomb going off in his brain. He groaned and managed to squeak out, “Come in!”

The door to his room opened and an intense amount of light came in. He shielded his eyes with his hands, which kept him from seeing who had entered the room. Standing in the doorway was Gaila and Moiya, their faces mirror images of concern.

“Jimmy?” Gaila called out as quietly as she could while still being heard. “You doing okay?”

Jim laughed despite himself. “Other than the enormous amount of pain I’m in, I’m doing peachy.”

The two women stepped inside the room, which thankfully blotted out the light from the hall. Jim lowered his hands to gaze upon them in the near pitch darkness of the room, a pained smile on his lips.

“Sorry we haven’t been able to hang out as much,” he said with dark amusement in his voice. “I’ve been a bit indisposed with the earth shattering pain in my skull.”

“I know,” Moiya said sadly, approaching Jim and putting her hands on the sides of his head. “I wish you did not have to suffer so.”

Jim let out a sigh of relief as the pain in his head abetted slightly. “Oh, actually that feels amazing. Keep your hands just like that, if you could, just until Spock comes back.”

“Does it stop the pain completely?”

“Oh not even close,” Jim laughed, “but any relief is welcome right now.”

“Damn Jimmy, you sure know how to pick ‘em,” Gaila joked. “One moment you’re experiencing pure sexual bliss, the next you’re rolling around like a wounded animal.”

“I can’t even begin to tell you how much I resent that. I absolutely didn’t ask for this.”

“Nor should you be forced to bear this level of pain,” Moiya retorted. She stroked Jim’s face with her thumbs, happy to see his facial expression relaxing. “I only wish I could do more.”

Jim put his hands on top of Moiya’s and gave them a light squeeze. “I’m sure if this was a normal headache I’d feel good as new with those lovely pain relieving hands of yours Moiya. Remind me when this is all over to spring for a spa day for you.”

Gaila pouted. “What about me? I want a spa day too.”

“Then you should figure out a way to take some of this pain away like Moiya here. Only thing you’re doing is making me wish I could use my pecker right now.”

Gaila sat down on Jim’s bed and huffed in mock offense. “We can’t all be as blessed as Deltans. At least I have this gorgeous head of hair.”

“And it is quite lovely,” Moiya cooed.

“So how long before that Vulcan guy comes back?”

“Not soon enough for me,” Jim sighed. “Chris wasn’t very forthcoming with the details of their exchange, but apparently Spock got called away for some emergency before his shore leave was actually over. All I know is he’s working on making his way back and that will hopefully put an end to all of this.”

“Well, you might be springing for a spa day for our lovely Moiya, but I swear when you get better we’ll have a full blown day to just party. We’ll go to all the best restaurants, buy a bunch of lavish shit we don’t really need, maybe go on one of those gambling hover cruises they just opened up…”

“That sounds like a blast. I also can’t wait to be able to tolerate a normal amount of light and eat something more solid than a blended puree.”

Jim hummed as the pain in his head began to ease even more. “Dang Moiya, are you cranking up the pain relief? My headache just got a bit more bearable.”

Moiya looked at Jim curiously. “I have changed nothing in what I am doing. Maybe we are sufficiently distracting you from your ailment?”

“Don’t I wish it,” he answered. “No, I don’t think this is a matter of distraction. I’m genuinely feeling less pain all of a sudden.”

The pain was decreasing by the second. He also felt oddly anxious despite the relief he was finally getting from his headache. Before he could discuss the matter further with the girls, he had another knock at the door. This time it was Chris.

“I have good news,” he said, a smile on his face. “Spock just sent word that his ship was granted permission to resume their shore leave. They’re on their way now.”

“That’s great,” he responded automatically, the smile on his face not feeling as authentic as he would like. “I guess that explains why my headache is getting better.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Girls, if you could give me and Jim a moment to talk alone please?”

Gaila and Moiya quietly rose to their feet and exited the room. The pain flared up some in Moiya’s absence, but was noticeably less intense than when they first arrived. After the door closed behind them, Chris spoke freely.

“If you want, I can be here with you when that jackass comes to fix what he screwed up. I won’t force you to be alone with him.”

“It’s fine, I can handle things on my own.”

“Are you sure? Because I really want to lay into him some more for what he did to you.”

“I appreciate that Chris, but regardless of the state I’ve been in, I think it would be best if the two of us talked privately. I really want to give him a chance to explain why he did what he did. I can’t imagine he would do something that drastic without good reason.”

“No reason he could possibly give will be good enough for the hell he put you through. Not to me anyway.”

Jim sighed and rubbed his neck. “If anyone understands doing things for desperate reasons, it’s me. And I don’t know, there’s something about how all of this went down that doesn’t add up to me. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Chris gave Jim a sad smile. “You’re far more forgiving than I am.”

“That says a lot,” Jim laughed. “Because I’m not exactly the forgiving type.”

“Well, if you need me, the offer still stands.”

“And I swear, if I need you I’ll take you up on that offer.”

Chris cupped his hand on Jim’s face, melting a little as the younger man leaned into his touch. “I don’t know how I’ll ever make this up to you.”

“You don’t need to. This isn’t your fault.”

“I just can’t stand to see you suffer like this. And after I’d sworn to keep you safe…”

“Chris please,” Jim begged, a sorrowful look on his face, “I don’t want to go through this again with you. I’ve told you that I’ve made peace with what happened and I mean it. Besides, this isn’t anything like what I went through at the Crimson Den. Don’t beat yourself up over what I’m going through.”

Chris sighed and kissed Jim’s forehead. “Alright, I’ll try. I’m sure it’ll be a little easier once this is all over.” He pressed his forehead to Jim’s for a moment before pulling away completely. “I’ll make sure to notify you the moment he arrives. I don’t want there to be any more surprises for you.”

“I appreciate that.”

With a final lingering look, Chris took his leave from the room. Alone once more, Jim leaned back in his chair and sighed. The pain in his head was still pretty bad, but just knowing that Spock was on his way to fix things made him feel better. If this was what it was like to be linked with a Vulcan, he was looking forward to being rid of the link and going back to business as usual.


End file.
